1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand tools with imbedded illumination means. More specifically, the present invention relates to a shovel tool having a hollow handle portion with a directed light source projection for illuminating a work area, and further a hollow handle proximal end for creating a housing for storing a detachable light source for general purposes in low light situations. The directed light source is one that is built into the shaft of the device or a location in which an handheld flashlight is secured and directed toward the shaft working end.
It is well known that working with handheld tools in low light environments can be both dangerous and lead to mistakes in the work being conducted. Generally a large light source will be utilized to illuminate an entire area, such as an outdoor work site or underground work environment. These light sources are generally large-scale work lights that are powered by generators or vehicles parked in proximity to the worksite. In certain environments, where work is being accomplished in smaller spaces, such devices may not adequately illuminate the given work space being operated on, such as a dig site wherein earth is being removed from a given location and an encompassing light source is projecting light from one location to provide visualization of the entire work location. In some cases, a more localized and directed light source may be necessary to inspect an area or to determine the state of a discrete location.
Handheld light sources and flashlights are convenient devices for locally inspecting and focusing light onto a given area. These devices are convenient for on-demand lighting, but can be cumbersome to handle if a plurality of hand tools or implements are being wielded simultaneously. It is relatively impossible for a worker to direct light onto a given location and concurrently utilize a shovel tool to inspect and excavate that same area, wherein the worker is handling both the light source and the shovel tool at one time. Such excavation tools require the use of both hands for proper operation, while the illumination of the target work area may only be possible between successive uses of the tool. To correct this flaw and to aid individuals working in tight quarters, low light environments, the present invention is disclosed for providing directed illumination onto a target area, wherein the light source is integrated into the handle of the hand tool, while further providing a removable light source for closer inspection independent of the hand tool.
The present invention is a shovel tool having a handle that provides directed light onto an area being excavated, such that the user is not required to remove his or her hands from the tool in order to visualize a target area in low light or tight quarters environments wherein a global lighting source may be inadequate. These environments include enclosed areas wherein shadows may prevent larger light sources from being efficient, outdoor work environments of expansive area and other similar situations wherein excavation is required with inadequate visualization of the area being disturbed. Such situations may place the worker at risk if subterranean power or gas lines are present, or harder material is discovered in which the hand tool is not adequately designed to handle. The light source of the present invention is one that is integrated into the handle of the tool and between common grasping areas for a shovel. Its positioning is such that normal operation of the shovel is not changed, and the light source housing is sheltered within a housing that projects from the handle shaft to direct light towards the shovel working end. Further provided is an internal cavity in the handle of the device that provides securement of an auxiliary light source, such that a flashlight or similar tool can be placed therein and easily removed for closer or more extensive inspection of an area without handling the rest of the shovel tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art, including those that have been patented or described in published patent applications that pertain to combination hand tools and means of illumination. It is well known that combination tools exist to improve one's ability to visualize a work area and conduct a given task for which the tool is particularly suited. However, no shovel tool of similar structure and utility is disclosed that describes all elements of the present disclosure. While the devices in the prior art display familiar design elements for the purposes of providing a tool with internal light source, they fail to contemplate the elements of the present illuminated shovel device of the present invention. The devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure are presented below.
Specifically, U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0164239 to Grennan discloses a lighted litter scoop having a hollow, elongated handle and shaft member, a spoon shaped working end and an LED lamp powered by an internal battery power source. The LED lamp is housed within the front end of the handle portion and above the elongated shaft member, providing downward illumination that is particularly useful for sifting through and removing clumps of waste within an enclosed kitty litter box. A user switch allows control of the LED light operation such that the work area within the litter box is illuminated, facilitating the ability of the user to visualize and remove waste therefrom. While describing an implement having a light source, the Grennan device does not disclose the present invention structural elements or its intended uses, which are related to construction or contractor equipment and illuminating a large work area.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0221598 to March is another such device that discloses a pick-up tool having an elongated hollow body, a first and second opposing pick-up fingers at the distal end of the hollow body and a lighting element coupled to the body. Linkages on extend from the pick-up fingers to the body, allowing the user to engage the two fingers together in order to compress and grasp an object of interest. A magnet and a reed switch are further deployed to engage the light for a predetermined period of time upon detection of the magnet within a given distance to the switch, which provides illumination when the fingers are engaging and when light is required. Similar to the Grennan disclosure, the March disclosure provides a lighted tool structure of diverging uses and intent as compared to the present invention, which is utilized in conjunction with a shovel and further provides a utility holder for an auxiliary flashlight.
Further, U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0016698 to Simpson discloses an illuminated washable spoon that includes a main spoon body having a concave distal end and a handle portion. The handle portion comprises a hollow structure having a depressible section and an imbedded illumination mechanism. The illumination mechanism comprises a power source, a pressure switch and a light source. The Simpson device is a washable child's spoon that includes an internal illumination means that is controlled by a depressible switch. The present invention provides a construction tool with a light projection means for direct illumination of a work area.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0030033 to Taylor further discloses a pick-up and disposal device having a pair of pivoting jaws joined together to a shaft. Similar to the March disclosure, the Taylor disclosure describes an articulating pick-up tool having opposable jaws. In addition to the mechanics of the Taylor pick-up tool structure, a clip is provided along the shaft of the device for attaching a light source, such as a flashlight. The Taylor device provides only a clip for a light accessory, as opposed to an integrated or internal light source built into the handle of the tool, which is provided in the handle of the present invention.
U.S. Published Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0094823 to Bradford discloses an illuminated implement apparatus having a handle portion and a working member support portion. The working member further comprises a pair of lamp accessories connected to its distal end, providing direct illumination of a working surface. A switch in the handle portion controls the lamp assemblies, while a battery pack within the handle provides a source of power. The working member support portion includes a pair of longitudinal support portions that form shovel blades or scoops, while the handle provides support along lateral sides of the pair of support portions. While providing a scoop having illuminating lamps, the structure of the present invention is more versatile and better adapted to provide an illuminating tool that does not change the tool's functionality. Specifically, the present invention provides a shovel device having a handle, wherein the handle employs a projection that houses an internal light source. The outwardly projected volume of the light is minimized and its location along the handle is such that is does not interfere with the basic use of the shovel, while the proximal end of the shovel handle further may include a cavity for storing an auxiliary light source therein.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,976,564 to Holder describes a sifting device for use in conjunction with a metal detector, wherein a shovel type scoop is provided with a flashlight built into the handle for illuminating the items gathered within the scoop. The scoop is further perforated to allow sifting, while the shape of the scoop places the flashlight bulb centrally along a connecting sidewall thereof for direct illumination of the articles within the scoop during sifting. The Holder device is well adapted for sifting through material and inspecting the material being sifted within its scoop, but provides little illumination of a work surface once the scoop is full of material. The present invention is more suited for illuminating a given work area, wherein the light projects outward from the handle, allowing a user to visualize the area being excavated, and further the area in which the displaced material is being relocated. The light is not inhibited by the content within the shovel itself, which is a critical drawback of the Holder device.
The present invention provides a new and novel shovel tool having direct illumination means and a holder for securing a removable, auxiliary light source in its handle region. The light source is one that is designed into a hollow region within the tool shaft or a handheld flashlight that is inserted therein, wherein outwardly projecting housing along the handle directs light onto a work surface of interest while excavating from that area. The light source is preferably a plurality of high intensity Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) that draw electrical power from an internal battery pack or plurality of removable batteries, or alternatively is a removable flashlight that is secured into the housing interior for providing securement of an independent flashlight device. The structure of the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing lighted shovel tool devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.